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Molecular Pathogens
2013, Vol.4, No.1, 1-8 http://mp.sophiapublisher.com
Review
Open Access
Kingella kingae
a Potentially Emerging Pathogen: a Comprehensive Review
K.V. Ramana
Department of Microbiology, Prathima Institude of Medical Sciences, Nagunur, Karimnagar, India-505417
Corresponding Author email: ramana_200221@rediffmail.com;
Molecular Pathogens, 2013, Vol.4, No.1 doi: 10.5376/mp.2013.04.0001
Copyright
© 2013 K.V. Ramna. This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted
use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Kingella kingae
are a group of fastidious Gram negative bacilli that were first described way back in 1960’s as CDC
group M-1. Initially placed in moraxella family,
Kingella
spp. have later been classified separately under
Neisseriaceae
family.
Kingella kingae
is the most common species responsible for human infections and is characterized along with other fastidious
bacteria named as HACEK group.
Kingella kingae
,
K. denitrificans
,
K. indologenes
and
K. oralis
are few species of
Kingella
.
Kingella kingae
has gradually evolved from a bacterium that normally colonizes oral cavity, upper respiratory tract and genital tract
in to a potential pathogen in children and debilitated patients. Recent trends of
Kingella kingae
infections among adult population
should be considered as an alarming signal. The spectrum of infections, indifferent cultural and biochemical characters, antimicrobial
susceptibility pattern, complex pathogenicity and genetic polymorphism has attracted a lot of interested among paediatricians,
orthopedicians and clinical microbiologists.
Keywords
Kingella kingae
; Pathogen; Colonization
Introduction
Kingella kingae
are a group of gram negative bacteria
appearing as cocci, diplococci and short cocco
bacillary forms, placed previously under
Moraxella
family (Snell et al., 1976). Due to the presence of
coccoid forms and production of oxidase enzyme,
Kingella kingae
are placed in the family
Neisseriaceae
way back in 1976 by Henriksen and Bovre (1976).
Kingellae
are now included in a separate group called
as HACEK (
Haemophilus aphrophilus
,
Actinobacillus
actinomycetemcomitans
,
Cardiobacterium hominis
,
Eikenella corrodens
and
Kingella kingae
) which share
similar phenotypic and biochemical characters in
being fastidious and catalase negative (Winn et al.,
2006; Von Graevenitz et al., 2003).
Kingella kingae
,
K.
denitrificans
,
K. indologenes
(now named as
Suttonella indologenes
under
Cardiobacteriaceae
based on G+C contents of its DNA) and
K. oralis
are
few species of
Kingella
(Dewhirst et al., 1990). Being
present as a normal flora of oral cavity, upper
respiratory tract and getnito-urinary tract,
Kingellae
can become invasive and are associated with
serious infections, mostly in children (Winn et al.,
2006; Manuselis et al., 2000).
Pathogenicity, Virulence and Clinical features
The possible mode of invasion is by abrasion of the
mucus membrane.
Kingella kingae
, the common
species responsible for occasional human infections
has been first described in 1960’s as CDC group
M-1 (Winn et al., 2006).
Kingella kingae
was initially
thought to be a rare causative of infections in patients
with endocarditis and has evolved in to a potential
pathogen especially in paediatric age patients causing
bacteremia and osteoarticular infections (septic
arthritis, osteomyelitis, diskitis, tenosynovitis and
dactylitis). Other infections associated with
K. kingae
include meningitis, hematogenous endophthalmitis,
soft-tissue infection and corneal ulcers and abscess
(Yagupsky et al., 1997; Mollee et al., 1992).
Pneumonia, epiglottitis and tracheobronchitis are
some clinical conditions where
K. kingae
has been
isolated (Kennedy et al., 1988). It has been reported
that more than 70% children below 5 years are
colonized with
Kingella kingae
in their upper respiratory
tract and oropharynx (Henrikssen et al. , 1976) .
Molecular Pathogens
Preferred citation for this article:
K.V. Ramana, 2013,
Kingella kingae
a Potentially Emerging Pathogen: a Comprehensive Review, Molecular Pathogens, Vol.4, No.1 1-8 (doi:
10.5376/mp.2013.04.0001)
Received: 30 Jun., 2013
|
Accepted: 10 Jul., 2013
|
Published: 26 Sep., 2013